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Skaven (Renegades fan list) · 153 points · Attritional attack-volume block
Are Plague Monks good?
Plague Monks are only good in the right matchup. In my tests they won just 11 of 40 charges, because S3 and AP0 struggled into armour and T4.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Plague Monks at
- Role
- Attritional attack-volume block
- Good against
- Jade Warriors on the charge (4/10): their best result
- Struggles against
- Ironbreakers on the charge (3/10), Clanrats on the charge (0/10), charging Gors (0/10)
- Record
- 11/40 charging · 7/30 receiving
Their job is grinding softer infantry. I would keep them away from armour and monsters.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 70 complete combats with Plague Monks, each fought through break tests and pursuit to the end: 40 with them charging and 30 with the enemy charging. These were the results.
Simulations have limits, and a real game with Plague Monks adds terrain, magic, characters and an opponent who reacts, none of which is in these rolls. One lucky break test can move a result by a whole fight, so the Plague Monks’ Ironbreakers on the charge (3/10) could easily have come out one either way. They tell you what to point Plague Monks at, not what will happen every time.
How do Plague Monks do on the charge?
Plague Monks charging. Fights won. n = 10 fights per opponent
| Opponent | Pts | Won |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | 138 | 4/10 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | 141 | 3/10 |
| 20 Clanrats | 137 | 0/10 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | 150 | 4/10 |
How do Plague Monks do when the enemy charges?
Plague Monks receiving. Fights won. n = 20 and 10 fights
| Charging enemy | Pts | Won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Knights of the Realm | 141 | 7/20 |
| 17 Gors | 136 | 0/10 |
What I think Plague Monks are good at
- They can grind when bodies, Frenzy and command matter.
- I would send them into softer infantry, or fights where body count and sustained attacks decide things.
Watch out
Losing a round removes Frenzy. Elite armour and monstrous infantry are poor targets for them.
Other Battle March units I tested
- Khorne Chaos Warriors with great weapons137 pts · Armour and monster breaker
- Khorne Chaos Warriors with additional hand weapons130 pts · Attack-volume infantry
- Khorne Chaos Knights with lances142 pts · Elite shock cavalry
- Huscarls with flails120 pts · Cheap shock hammer
- Berserkers with flails137 pts · All-round melee infantry
- Bloodied Hound Marauders with great weapons143 pts · Ranked block with sustained S5
- Bloodied Hound Marauders with flails137 pts · Charge-dependent ranked infantry
- Rat Ogres with a Master Moulder150 pts · Monstrous hammer
- Jade Lancers138 pts · Support, flank and pursuit cavalry
- Giant Rats and handlers115 pts · Screen, bait and redirector
- Clanrats with spears and shields137 pts · Tarpit and ranked anvil
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Plague Monks for grinding down softer infantry, and not for armour and monsters, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Plague Monks best against?
Jade Warriors: the Plague Monks won 4 of 10 charges into them in my tests. The worst charging matchup for the Plague Monks was Clanrats, at 0 of 10.
Are Plague Monks better on the charge or receiving one?
Charging. The Plague Monks won 28% of their charges in my tests, against 23% of fights when the enemy charged them.